The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) project is designed to replace obsolete aircraft from the 1970s, the service life of which will end in the early 2030s, the agency reports the words of an Air Force spokesman. Work will take place in Colorado, Nevada and Ohio and is expected to be completed in 2036.
It is specified that the aircraft, among other things, will have a jet engine, strengthened and modified in accordance with military requirements.
Reuters notes that the current Boeing E-4B (a modification of the civilian passenger Boeing 747-200) is usually used to transport the US Secretary of Defense, but is designed as a mobile command post capable of withstanding nuclear explosions and electromagnetic influences, which allows orders to be transmitted to the military in in the event of a national emergency. The E-4B can also be refueled in midair.
The Air Force currently operates four E-4B aircraft, at least one of which remains operational at all times. It is indicated that they are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain.
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2024-04-27 12:43:15